GITA 1.35

GITA 1.35

Today's lecture was from the Sri SoundaraRaja Perumal temple at Nagappattinam [ThiruNagai] one of the 40 Chola kingdom [or area] Divya Desam in the 108 Divya Desam.This is a coastal town [in olden days it was a commercial harbour]. In Krita yug, the Lord here was worshipped by Adisesha, King of Nagas (serpents). The Lord here is Sri Soundara Raja Perumal. Since Naga worshipped, this place got the name Nagappattinam. In Krita yug, by Adisesha, in Treta yug, bu Sri Booma Devi, in Dwapara yug, by sage Markandeya and in Kali yug, by  King Saleesa Chola, the Lord was worshiped. True to His name, the Lord here is most beautiful. Tirumangai Alwar has sung ten hymns on this Perumal. The idol is so captivating that the Alwar in each hymn suffixed it with the words 'Achcho!Azhagiyava!' [compare Ayyo by Sri Thiruppanalwar in Amalanadipiran] [tgs: I was fortunate to have lived in this place adjacent to the temple for two years during 1946-48, when I was studying 3rd and 4th class. This is the first Divyadesam perumal I remember and really the Perumal was so beautiful that I can never forget and always I remember the tirumanjanam and uthsavams I was fortunate to heve seen.]The pushkarini is called Sara pushkarini and the vimanam is Bhadra vimanam.Thayar is Sri Soundaravalli Thayar.
Now we will see slokas 38 and 39 together:

yady apy ete na pasyanti 
lobhopahata-cetasah 
kula-ksaya-krtam dosam 
mitra-drohe ca patakam

katham na jneyam asmabhih 
papad asman nivartitum 
kula-ksaya-krtam dosam 
prapasyadbhir janardana

O Janardana, although these men, overtaken by greed, see no fault in killing one's family or quarreling with friends, why should we, with knowledge of the sin, engage in these acts?

Arjuna further continues: "Oh! Janardhana! These people out of greed do not see the faults of destruction of a family [dynasty] and enmity among friends. But why should we, who can see the crime of destroying a dynasty, should do these acts of sin"
lobhe = greed ( of acquiring Kingdom), upahata-cetasah = overtaken by, ete = these people (Duryodana and others), yady api na pasyanti = may not see, kula-ksaya-krtam-dosham = the fault of destroying ethnicity, mitra-drohe  ca patakam = sin of betraying a friend. Duryodana and others might overlook the two sins of destroying a tribe and betrayal of friends. The sentence gets completed with the next sloka 39. Prapasyadbhir = seeing (the sin arising out of these two faults), asmabhih = by us, katham na jneyam = how can not be overlooked, papad asman nivartitum = remedy for the sins. Arjuna asks that knowing that destroying a family is a sin, how can we overlook and not find  a remedy? That is if this war is fought, ethnicity will be wiped out. Friends would have been betrayed. Therefore, Arjuna does not want to fight. Duryodana might overlook these faults, but how can the Pandavas overlook? Duryodana and others overlook these faults, because they are greedy. Greed is, wanting to possess others' property also. We may think we are free from greed, but we have to introspect ourselves. God has created all for all to share.   
Here Arjuna lists two great papas or sins i)Destroying a family or dynasty and ii)enmity among friends. We will first see the first dosha or fault.The word kula should not be confused with caste but should be taken as dynasty or family. Arjuna and also Duryodana and all belong to the great Kuru dynasty and in this fight whenever any of their family members are killed , the ancestors who are common to both Pandavas and Kauravas, will feel sorry and that is a great sin. Indirectly, he is indicating to Sri Krishna that He, Who had seen the destruction of a dynasty, should all the more understand importance of preserving the dynasty.
Yayati, was a great king and he had many children .The eldest was Yadhu and the last was Puru. Yayati very much enjoyed the youthful activities for many, many years. But as old age approached he wanted to still keep himself young and so he requested his eldest son Yadhu to donate his youth to his father so that he could enjoy the youth for some more time. But Yadhu refused and so also all the other sons. But when he approached the youngest son Puru, who, willingly offered his youth to his father. Pleased with that Yayati declared Puru as his successor.This made Yadhu to lose the kingdom which he should have got it by his entitlement as the eldest son and so the Yadhu dynasty lost its glory. Sri Krishna, to bring back glory to this this dynasty, was born in that family.
We will see how betrayal of friends come up in the next lecture. 
                                                       (continued)